How much does it take to be a Spammer?
In the first innitial contact of a new person. I state right off that I am involved in a company that I think they will be interested in. If they accept, I follow with a e-mail with some of the uses I think they will get through me with their company, and tack on some websites for them to check.
If they want more info. I proceed. If they say no thanks, I usually send: "Thanks for the interest, and if you see a use for it in the future. Feel free to contact me"
Do these one or two e-mails make me a spammer or a networker. Or is it all just a grey area. I personally never intended to be a spammer, nor do I think I am one.
You judge, and thanks for the input.
Greg
Good Answers (4)
Frank F.
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The way you describe this is as follows:
"In the first initial contact of a new person.
I state right off that I am involved in a
company that I think they will be interested in."
Taken at face value, that sounds too "pushy" and is akin to many ways of behaving in network marketing organizations (and now online by Internet marketers). It is no different than a cold call at dinner time, or a spam e-mail. Hence it will be offensive and obnoxious to many people. It gets you off on the wrong foot, and makes the other party already apprehensive as to what comes next.
But then you add these crucial words ...
"If they accept, I follow with an e-mail ..."
So, it sounds as if you are asking them whether they would be interested in learning more about your business, and are then asking for their permission to follow up with an e-mail. Permission is crucial.
That sounds much better.
But it is still fuzzy to me. I think that this is still too pushy, and I would suggest instead that asking the other person what *they* do (rather than telling them what *you* do -- beyond the name of your business and its offering), might be more fruitful. It also would allow you to screen your prospects, right off the bat. And it may give you a better opening in terms of making a sale.
The old form of marketing/advertising is "push" marketing/advertising. The new form of marketing/advertising is "pull" marketing/marketing, where you evolve ways to allow the prospect to "pull" you towards them. They will do this, if they have a need.
Marketing/advertising is now about initiating a "conversation" with prospects and customers. So it would be OK to give your name, that of your company, and a one-liner of what the company does. But it is too pushy to then say "I think you will be interested in it."
Better to then find out what *they* do, understand it, ask questions about it, and find a hook (if, as, and when it sounds appropriate) to then inquire whether they might have an interest in what *your* company offers.
Then it is a "conversation" that can be taken to the next level, or dropped.
Hope that helps.
Nicolas L.
► Business Consultant ► Open to Learn ► Open to Discuss ► Open to Help ► Open to Connect ► Open to Happiness
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Through LinkedIn, I received many messages (emails). My policy is to archive them first if I have no interest. It includes invitations to join other social networks, products, services, and so on. I’ll never send a reply email and tell you I’m not interested.
If the person continues, then all his/her emails would be sent to spam (trash) folder: you are identified as a spammer.
So, the warning sign is you never receive any response.
On the other hand, I’d never send out (mass or any) emails to my growing contacts to see whether they have any interest in what I do.
I’d never do to others if I do not like (being on the receiving end).
Mark V.
Experienced Cellular Network Engineer
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By definition, if you have permission to send the email, it's not spam, even if the person then decides they are not interested.
It's quite different when people with whom you've exchanged an email or two then ASSUME they have the right to send you anything and everything they want to send.
I hate spammers with a passion, but I do not see any problem with your approach.
Shashank G.
National Director - Brand Activation at Maxus
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Hello Greg,
I don’t think it really takes much to be a Spammer, but I think it’s a short lived format for both networking and doing business. Primarily because it’s unsolicited selling.
I personally will not solicit spam inquiries neither encourage such approaches; however, I think your approach is quite a modulated. I think it is best to understand the company / individuals requirements before the initial contact itself. Providing web links and other support info does help but you should be willing to accept a lower conversion ratio.
Between being judged as a Spammer or a Networker I think if you are sending out information of relevance to the prospective organization / individual post researching their needs I think you can be called a networker, rest all is spam.
As I said, your approach seems quite modulated and can give better results.
All the best.
Shashank
More Answers (4)
Geoffrey R.
Operations Improvement Leader - improving organization efficiency and effectiveness.
Hi Greg,
It all depends on which side of that interchange you occupy. Here is the other side. Your first contact with my is to pitch your product / service and then force me to do the filtering to tell you that I have no need. As a consumer, I am much more interested if you invest the time to learn about my unmet needs and you do the filtering so you are not pitching to me a poor fit. When there is a fit, you will have established much more credibility with me by understanding my unmet needs.
Well, define the "initial contact". Is it in person? Did they give you their email address? Or are you just emailing them out of the blue with no existing business relationship?
If people have actively given you their contact info, and you personally write a follow-up email or two, that's definitely not spam. But your initial contact COULD be spam.
Your email must:
* use an accurate and non-deceptive subject line and email headers (from address, etc.)
* include your company's physical mailing address
* give the recipient an opt-out method that you will honor.
If it doesn't, you're violating the CAN-SPAM act of 2003, and your email is not only spam, it's illegal.
This applies to any email "whose primary purpose is advertising or promoting a commercial product or service, including content on a Web site" if you don't have an existing commercial relationship with the recipient. Even if you carefully chose the recipients, their email addresses are available online, and you aren't using purchased email lists, this STILL applies. The CAN-SPAM act doesn't require "bulk" sending, though this is part of the common definition of spam, and there are other laws in other jurisdictions that penalize unsolicited bulk email regardless of the content.
But let's assume your first contact was in person -- these are people who gave you their business cards at a conference, for example.
By default, the answer to "can I add you to my list?" is "no". You need an explicit "yes", or you're spamming. Spam in technical terms is called either "UBE" or "UCE" -- "Unsolicited Bulk Email" or "Unsolicited Commercial Email". Putting someone on a commercial mailing list without an explicit request is not yet illegal (according to CAN-SPAM), but it's definitely spam: unsolicited, commercial, bulk email.
In one of your followup emails, you could definitely have a link such as "join our regular newsletter here" or "sign up here to stay informed of our changing offerings", etc. etc..
But if they don't actively request continuing emails, then don't send them.
As far as spamming goes, you're better safe than sorry -- UBE has become such a plague on email communications that even if you're technically sending "legal" communications, you can still fall afoul of the many, many anti-spam communities online if you are treading in the gray areas... and before you know it you'll find your Google reputation plummeting, and your email servers being blacklisted.
Links:
Emmett S.
Sales and Marketing Professional
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You are not allowed to send unsolicited commercial emails. Any unsolicited commercial email is spam. Most people get away with one email that requires a person to respond if they want more email. If they don't respond, don't send them another email.
Check with an attorney to make sure that you are protected.
Every commercial email that you send must have a way for the recipient to easily opt out of future emails.
None of this prevents the recipients from clicking on the spam button, but it can keep you from having to pay fines or get arrested if you keep records. None of it prevents your host from shutting down your website if they get too many spam complaints.
Check with an attorney to make sure that you are protected.
Networkers build their mailing lists through advertising and things like safelists where people have agreed in advance to receive commercial emails. It is a matter of longevity.
